Switch-throwing mechanism



March 15, 927 H. N. BURRESS SWITCH THROWING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \Q/ A A A Filed May 13, 1926 H7Z. Bari e45 \w gp March 15, 1927.

H. N. BURRESS SWITCH THROWING MECHANISM Filed May 13, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wane/ 0 I Patented Mar. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,620,947. PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN NEWTON BURRESS, OF MATEWAN, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO L. T. COMPTON, F MATEWAN, WEST VIRGINIA.

SwITCH-THROWIN G MECHANISM.

Application filed May 18,

The invention relates to opera-tin mechanisms for railway switches and has for its principal object to-provide a new and improved mechanism of this character which will be easy to operate, will quickly move to one position or the other as occasion may demand, and Will permit yielding of the switch tongues away from the rails, under the influence of the wheel flanges, if a train or car is moving in such'a direction as to. make such yielding essential, either tongue being otherwise tightly held against its respective rail.

With the foregoing in view, the invention 16 resides in the novel subject matter herein after described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view with the cover plate of the housing removed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the mechanism in a different position from that shown in Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings above briefly described, R designates the rails of a track, T has reference to the usual switch tongues and B designates the bridle bar connecting said 3 tongues, the improved switch-throwing inechanism being connected with this bridle A flat casing 5 having a removable cover 6, is mounted on a plurality of the ties, said casing being preferably inset in said ties, although this is not absolutely essential. Fulcrumed within the casing 5 is a bellcrank 7, one of whose-ends is connected by a-link 8 and adjustable clevises 9, with the .40 bridle bar B. The other end of this bell crank is preferably widened and is formed with a curved slot 10 which is transverse to and extends laterally in opposite directions from the fulcrum 11 of said bell crank.

A pivotally mounted link 12 is cooperable with one arm of the bell crank 7 in forming a toggle for actuating said bell crank to throw the switch. In the present showing, one end of this link is bifurcated to straddle the slotted portion of the bell crank 7 and carries a roller or other shoe 13 which is slidably received in the slot 10. Means are provided to cause quick movement of this link 12 so that its shoe 13 moves to one end or the other of the slot 10, after suitable spring device 17 within said cas- 1926. Serial No. 108,904.

said link has been moved with respect-to the bell crank, to a. de ad-center position, that 1s, to ZL'POSIUOI! in which the shoe 13 is disposed upon an imaginary line .drawn center position and at the same time exerts such force on the link, as to cause the latter to swlng the crank 7 to a switch-operating position. In the preferred constructiom'the pivot 14 connects the link 12 with an arm 15 which is pivoted in the casing at 16, any

7C ng, being connected with the arm for exertmg the necessary force upon the link 12. 18 merely designates a rest u on which one end of the arm 15 slides. his 'rest and all studs by means of Whichmovable parts are connected with the-bottom of the casing 5, may well be inte a1 with or otherwise rigidly o ned to sai bottom.

A shifting bar 19 is provided for the link 12, sa d shiftlng bar being transverse to said l nk and having a combined pivotal and sliding connection therewith. This connection preferably comprises a roller or shoe 20 between the furcations of the link 12, and a slot 21 in the bar 19. For a purpose to appear, two coiled, tension springs 22, or their equivalents, are connected with the bar 19 at two relatively fixed points, said springs being disposed at opposite sides of the shoe 20 and belng suitably anchored to the caslhe end of-the shifting bar 19, remote from the connection 2021, is provided with a roller or other shoe 23, and a pivoted actuator 24 is co-operable with this shoe, the pivot of said'actuator being indicated at 25. T1115 actuator is in the form of a plate, in the present disclosure, and it is formed with an elongated opening 26 which extends in opposite directions from the pivot 25, one end of sa d opening having a bar-pushing seat 27 while the other end of said opening is formed with a bar-pulling seat 28, either of said seats being adapted to receive the shoe 23.

A rod 29 is shown leading to an appropriate switch stand 30 for operating the'actuator 24, said stand having a hand lever or other desired control 31. A spring 32 is preferably employed to return this lever to 110 its initial position after each actuation thereof, and another sprin 33 may be connected with the actuator 24; or the same purpose, a

. for the lever 31 aving appropriate stops for position, lever 31 limiting the swing of said lever, one of these stops being disclosed at 36 in Fi 2, from which view, itwill be understood that the lever is resting against and obscuring the other stop.

Assuming the parts stand as shown in Fig. 1 and the switch is to be thrown to its other the operation is as follows: The is moved toward the opposite end of the guide 35, thus pulling upon the rod 29 and causing the actuator 24 to force upon the shifting bar 19, the shoe 23 of this bar being then received in the bar-pushing notch or seat 27. This movement of bar 19 causes one end of the slot 21 to thrust against the ment, the sprin ward force Which the link exerts upon the shoe 20, thus-swinging the link 12 toward a dead-center position, and during this move- 17 is tensioned by the outarm 15. The result is that as soon as the link 12 reaches the aforesaid dead-center po sition, the spring device 17 comes into play to quicklthrow said link beyond said position, so t at the link 12-and the slotted portion of the bell crank 7 then act asa toggle and under the influence of the device 17, quickly throw the switch to its reversed position.

Swinging of the link 12 in the manner just set forth, causes its shoe 20 to move to the opposite end of the slot 21, so that the.

left-hand spring 22 of Fig. l-is pulling upon the bar 19 a greater distance from the shoe 20, than the right-hand spring 22. The result is that as soon as lever 31 is' released and the shoe 23 can disengage from the seat 27 the left-hand spring 22 will reverse the position of the bar 19, that is, swing it so that its shoe 23 will seat in the notch or seat 28, as shown in Fig. 2. It will thus be seen that the mechanism'is now set for again moving the switch to its previous position. Reference being now made to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the next operation of-the lever 31 will swing the actuator 24 so as to cause thecoactin seat 28 and shoe 23 to pull upon the shifting bar 19. This bar will then swing the link 12 toward a dead-center osition and the movement of the link an consequent movement of the arm 15 will again place the spring device 17 under tension. As soon as this dead-center position is reached, the device 17 comes into play to cause rapid snapping of the link 12 past dead-center, and the link and slotted portion of the bell crank 17 then again act as a toggle to quickly throw the switch. This movement of parts disposes the shoe 20 again at the inner end of the slot 21, so that the left-hand spring 22 of Fig. 2 will have more swinging force upon the shifting bar 19,

than the right-hand sprin The result is propriate signal and disclose the position of.

the switch. I

The novel construction shown and described is rather simple and inexpensive, yet will be eflicient and in every way desirable, and as excellent results may be obtained from the details-disclosed, they may well be followed. However, within the scope of the invention as claimed, various modlfications may be made.

1 claim 1. A switch throwing mechanism comprising a lever and means to a switch tongue, a pivotally mounted link having a shoe at one end said lever havin a curved slot which slidably receives sai shoe and extends in opposite directions from an imaginary line between the lever fulcrum and the link pivot, means acting longitudinally on said link to quickly snap it beyond a dead-center position when the link is for connecting it I moved to such position, said means being then active to move the link and lever to aswitch-throwingposition, and means for moving said lever to said dead-center position.

. 2. A switch throwing mechanism comprising a switch tongue, a pivotally mounted link having a shoe at one end said lever havin a curved slot which slidably receives sai a lever and means for connecting it to shoe and extends in opposite directions from an imaginary line between the lever fulcrum and the link pivot, means acting longitudinally on said link to quickly snap it beyond a dead-center position when the link is moved to such position, said means being then active to move the link and lever to a switch-throwing position, a shifting bar for said link extendin transversel thereof and having .a combine sliding an pivotal connection therewith, and means for either pushing or pulling said bar according to the direction in which said link is to be moved.

3. A switch throwing mechanism comprising a lever and means for connectin it to.

a switch tongue, a pivotally mounted link having a shoe at one end, said lever having a curved slot which slidably receives said shoe and extends in opposite directions from an imaginary line between the lever fulcrum and the link pivot, means acting longitudinally on said link to quickly snap it beyond a dead-center position when the link is moved to such .position, said means being.

then active to move'the link and lever to a switch-throwing position, a shifting bar for said link extending transversely thereof and having a combined sliding and pivotal connection therewith, said shifting bar having a shoe at a point spaced from said link, a pivotally mounted actuator for said shifting bar, said actuator having an elongated respectively, lioth adapted to receive said shoe of the shifting bar, and position-reversing means for said shifting bar active to swing it automatically fromone end of said opening to the other after said link swings upon its pivotal mounting.

4. In a switch throwing mechanism, a lever having a curved slot transverse to its fulcrum and extending in opposite direcseat and a bar-pulling seat tions from the same, a pivotally mounted link having a shoe slidable in said slot, and means acting longitudinally on said link for rapidly snapping said link in either direction along said slot from a neutral position and, for then exerting a moving force on said lever.

5. In a. switch throwing mechanism; a pivotally mounted link for movement to either of two positions, a shifting bar for said link extendin transversely thereof and having a combined nection'therewith, and'spring means active atrelatively fixed points on said bar at opposite sides of said connection, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a switch throwing mechanism; a pivotally mounted actuator-having an elongated opening which extends in opposite directions from its pivotal axis, the ends of said opening having In testimony w aflixed my signature.

HERMAN NEWTON BURRESS.

oppositely facing seats.

pivotal and sliding conereof I have hereunto- 

